Drink these: Chestnut, eggnog

The Nico Eggnog, left, and the Chestnut are wintry cocktails on the menu at Nico Osteria.

The Nico Eggnog, left, and the Chestnut are wintry cocktails on the menu at Nico Osteria. (Phil Velasquez, Chicago Tribune)

Nico Osteria proves that eggnog cleans up nicely

Nico Eggnog; and The Chestnut: Nico Osteria, Paul Kahan's hot Gold Coast Italian joint, boasts an impressive beverage menu served at a bar that brings to mind the trippy House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wis. But for most diners, the cocktails are an afterthought. Both nights I visited, getting a seat was a cinch. The drinks, good though they may be, are simply not the main attraction here. Plus, once seated in the restaurant, patrons typically don't pair Kanpachi crudo with eggnog. I hope. But the bar at Nico, also the de facto lobby bar for the sleek Thompson Hotel, is worth a separate journey. They're offering some classy, unpretentious cocktails for the holidays, including the aforementioned Nico Eggnog and the Chestnut (both $13).

Nico proves that eggnog cleans up nicely. The consistency here is lighter and less gluey — for the record, I find milk-carton eggnog a real buzzkill — than the usual ladled schlock. This eggnog also doesn't use its creaminess to mask the harshness of liquor, instead celebrating its boozy base of Romagna Vecchia Brandy and Blackwell Rum. That first sip packs a punch, for sure, but the accompanying Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao delivers chocolatey depth.

Better yet is the Chestnut ($13), a zippy shaken bourbon drink that smells like a Christmas tree and tastes like Nassau. It earns its name from the chestnut-infused Buffalo Trace Bourbon. The chestnut flavor is subtle; bourbon is already pretty nutty. What lifts the drink is a dust of grated nutmeg on the ice cubes. The smell before you sip is pine needles, gingerbread, burned cinders and cider, followed by a tropical taste of lemon juice. Chestnuts tanning on a sunny isle. 1015 N. Rush St., 312-994-7100